12 Fics of Christmas
by bluezinthos
Summary: A collection of 12 short fics with our favorite OTP leading up to Christmas!
1. One Good Reason

One Good Reason

Rose sat in the dim light of her room and let her tears drip silently onto the worn-out leather of _his_ coat. His scent had long faded from the buttery soft leather but not from her. Her spare pillow smelled of it, the armchair in the library smelled of it, _he_ smelled of it.

But _he_ wasn't _him_.

 _He_ walked away. _He_ broke her heart over and over again. _He_ smiled at everyone.

She'd been the only one to make _him_ smile.

She had a million reasons to leave and Mickey was pushing her to go.

 _He_ needed to give her just one good reason to stay.

There was a tap at the door and before she could say it was locked, it swung open. She was about to scold the Doctor for using his sonic screwdriver but he was empty handed and as disheveled as she'd ever seen him. He was without a tie, the top few buttons of his oxford undone and his shirtsleeves rolled up. Once it would have made her heart quicken.

"Rose."

If he thought anything of _his_ coat, he said nothing, just took it off her lap and placed it carefully around her shoulders before wiping her eyes. She moved over a bit to let him lay beside her.

"I mucked everything up today." He didn't question it.

"Doctor…"

"I don't think this body came out quite right. I said sometimes it doesn't go well, didn't I? I wanted it to work out so well too. Thought it when I took the vortex out of you. 'Let me be a bit younger and a bit prettier for Rose.'"

Sighing, he grabbed her hand and began playing with her fingers, measuring hers with his.

"You liked the old me better though, eh? Rougher and angry, I didn't like anyone. Well, almost anyone. This me's just a big old flirt. Hurt Reinette by promising her the stars. Hurt you by constantly running off feet first without paying attention when your hand should be in mine. Hurt you by not listening and bringing Mickey aboard. Hurt Mr. Mickey by bringing him."

Sad brown eyes looked up at her and Rose felt her heart breaking for a different reason.

"Maybe I should try it again? I've got two more goes at it. Regenerate again and see if the next me isn't such a bloody prat. Prolly have to do it away from the TARDIS though; she might not like me killing myself inside her."

Said ship flashed her lights and hummed angrily.

"Doctor, no."

Rose turned their hands so their fingers were intertwined. A perfect fit. Always a perfect fit.

Her reason.

"You ARE different. And I'm not saying it's all bad or all good. Yeah, the old you wouldn't have left me behind but you and I fought all the time then, too. You had a habit of thinking you were always right and not listening to me until we were stuck in a life and death moment that I could have prevented."

She nudged his head with her knee.

"Now, you at least take what I say into consideration, even if you disregard it later. Yes, Reinette hurt me. You didn't think. There was no backup plan for the two very not long lived _humans_ you left behind. For someone who is constantly reminding me that you can't spend your forever with me, you sure forgot that pretty quick."

"I am sorry, Rose. It's the whole 'Riding a white horse to the rescue.' How many people can say they did that?"

She smiled. "Not many. But I need you to work with the human, Doctor."

He fingered the old coat.

"Bit of both worlds… Rose, you are so precious to me…what?"

"You, you haven't said that to me since you regenerated. It's …it's just nice."

"I should remember to say it more. You keep this old Time Lord sane. I'm afraid of what I would be without you and that is a very selfish reason to want to keep you."

"But it's the same reason I want to keep you."

A thump and a curse outside the door broke the mood and reminded them they weren't alone on the ship.

"Rose, would you be upset if we dropped Mr. Mickey off at home?"


	2. Twinkling

Twinkling

The crisp cold hit Rose first, the absence of wind and sound as startling now as it was the first time. Her boots crunched against the frozen ice (she could still hear her first Doctor snorting in derision when she'd squealed and laughed about snow. 'How can it snow when there's no wind? No clouds? Naw, it's frozen clouds, frozen ice from that moment when everything got caught in the time ripple.")

Walking slowly out to the frozen ocean, she reached out and touched the clear ice, frost blossoming out from her fingers and obscuring the ancient inhabitant staring back at her. She looked behind her to see if the Doctor had followed and he did, the TARDIS door was closed, but he'd only taken a few steps, giving her room.

"Doctor? What's a matter?"

He smiled tightly and shrugged, his long brown trench coat brushing the ice. "Nothing. Just thought you might want some time alone with your memories is all."

"Whadda ya mean? I came here with you after all."

He scratched the back of his neck, a gesture she was fast becoming acquainted with.

"Yeah, but not this me."

"Oh." She'd asked him to change back. Right before he brought her home. Before she realized how sick he was from changing in the first place. Plus, she was sleeping in a couple of her favorite jumpers of his. They smelled of him, still did, minus the leather.

Rose held out her hand and the Doctor moved forward to take it. She tipped her head back and looked up at the sky, crowded with stars and streaky galaxies twinkling in the blackness.

"You are you, Doctor, I understand that now. It was just a shock for my puny ape brain to see you change your face right in front of me, yeah? Up until then, we hadn't had a good run with shape shiftin' aliens."

She squeezed his hand and looked up to see him looking down at her. "I want to travel through space and time with you, you daft alien."

A real smile broke across his face.

"The Doctor and Rose Tyler in the TARDIS."


	3. Hands

Hands

Showered and changed, Rose knew she should be exhausted after meeting Charles Dickens and the Gelth but she couldn't sleep. Something about the Doctor's eyes when the Gelth turned on them, something more than betrayal…

 _I'm a Time Lord. I'm the last of the Time Lords. They're all gone. I'm the only survivor. I'm left travelling on my own, 'cause there's no one else._

 _There's me._

Dropping her feet to the plush carpet, she was delighted to find a pair of pink fuzzy slippers at the foot of her bed. Too keyed up to think much on it, she went in search of the Doctor. She found him with his feet dangling outside the wide open TARDIS doors, an orange and red cluster of rocks floating before him.

"The Constellation Kasterberous…well, what's left of it, anyway."

Rose moved carefully to sit next to him. He didn't look at her, his face remained hard, long nose and big ears somehow starker against the swirls of flame colored light.

"It's time locked now. No way of going back, no way of it ever reforming – a new Big Bang – as you humans called it. Just dust and rocks forever. Nothing and no one."

Reaching out, Rose took one of his clenched fists in her hands and gently opened it, running her fingertips over the short, calloused fingers. She laced them together and squeezed.

"Like I said, there's me."

He chuckled and leaned his head to rest against hers.

"That there is."


	4. Santa?

Santa?

Rose tugged her faux fur lined hood closer and shivered. Daylight was fast fading and the snow and wind was picking up. She should have known when the Doctor said he had a treat for her it wouldn't be sunny beaches and tropical drinks.

The Doctor draped his arm around her and tugged her closer. "Just give it a few more minutes, Rose."

"What are we waiting for?"

"You'll see."

"Not likely," she grumbled brushing snow out of her eyes. Through the whipping wind she faintly picked up the sound of…bells? Turning her head towards where she thought the sound was coming from, she listened. Several minutes passed and a light bobbed into view followed by a sled being pulled by two of the most enormous creatures Rose had ever seen on Earth.

When the driver was even with them, he called his team to a halt and laughed.

"Oh, ho! What are the two of you doing out here? The village is still miles away! Get in the back before you freeze. There are furs and stones to warm you. Hurry now, I can't be late." His face was covered by a scarf and blocked by the hood of his brown furred coat, but…it couldn't be. Rose looked wide eyed at the Doctor.

Laughing lightly, he ushered her into the sleigh. "Time to get the human warm. In you get."

The ride to the small village passed quickly and soon Rose found herself (and the Doctor) helping the man carry several large bags into the main hall, where it seemed everyone had crowded. Even though she'd expected it, Rose gasped and gripped the Doctor's hand when the man pulled off his furry hood and revealed white hair and a white beard.

Smiling, the Doctor winked.

"Happy Christmas!" The man bellowed.

The children, right up to teenagers, all ran and surrounded him with hugs.

"Happy Christmas, Uncle Claus!"

Settled out of the way near the fire with mulled wine and listening while Claus told tales of his travels, Rose leaned into the Doctor.

"Santa? Really?"

"Well, not really. No flying reindeer or any of that and this is 17th century Germany and not the North Pole but to this village this man is Santa. He is the spirit of kindness. And that is what Christmas is, isn't it? Warmth and giving and family?"

She snuggled closer and smiled. "Yeah."

As the three bundled up to head back out, the snow having stopped and the moon shining brightly in the sky, Claus turned towards the Doctor and Rose.

"It occurs to me that the two of you didn't get a gift."

"Oh, no," Rose shook her head. "Being here with you and the village was more than enough of a gift for us."

The Doctor nodded. "One of our best trips ever. Top five."

Claus raised a busy brow. "Very little adventure to be had here. But I do have a small token for each of you."

Reaching into his great coat, he pulled out two oil cloth wrapped bundles. "Be careful with those." He looked pointedly at the Doctor. "Don't shake it."

Unwrapping hers, Rose gasped when she saw a delicate globe with a wooden carving of _London_ inside. _Her_ _London._

Turning to the Doctor in shock, she saw the tears in his eyes. In his hands was a delicate burnt orange glass globe with tiny silver leaves scattered over it that looked almost liquid. In fact, when he twirled the glass around the leaves swirled into clouds of liquid metal and formed back to leaves when still.

"Happy Christmas, Doctor, Rose. Now, hurry up. Let's get you home."


End file.
